Window clothesline support



June 7, 1949. R. P. M NAUGHT WINDOW CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1946 INV ENTORT ROBERT F. M NAUGHT BY m u I "a AT ORNEYS R. P. MCNAUGHT WINDOW CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT June 7, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1946 INVENTOR. ROBERT P M NAUGHT BY 77M AT'roRNEYs Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT Robert P. McNaught, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 10, 1946, Serial No. 715,242

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in a window clothes-line support; and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a clothes-line support that is normally arranged on the outside of a window, and which may be swung for moving a section of a clothes-line through a window opening. When the clothesline section is moved interiorly of the window, clothes may be readily secured thereto. The clothes-line is periodically operated to move the clothes toward a distant pulley. After the clothes have been placed on the line, the support is movable again to the exterior of the window and the latter may be closed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a guard on the support, which is arranged adjacent to a clothes-line pulley to prevent a persons hand from moving into that pulley when the clothes-line is pulled toward the pulley.

It is further proposed in this invention to provide a clothes-line support that is adjustable into various planes, thus allowing the line to lead from the window in difierent directions. This will permit a distant pulley, over which the line is trained, to be positioned at a convenient point in the yard or the line to extend to a near building, depending upon the size of the lot and location of other buildings.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clothes-line support that is movable from substantially upright position into a position short of horizontal. This arrangement will prevent the line from jumping off the pulleys around which the line is trained. The support may be clamped in either one of these end positions, or in any intermediate location.

A still further object is to provide a clamping arrangement that is adapted for gripping the clothes-line and holding the latter against movement when the support is disposed on the outside of the window.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification continues, and the novel features of my invention will be set forth in the appended claims.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in

which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my window clothes-line support showing it extending through an opened window so that clothes may be hung on the line or removed therefrom;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the clothes-line support, disclosing the latter in a slightly inclined position;

Figure 3 is a similar view with the support disposed in upright position;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 2 Figure 5 is a vertical section taken along the line VV of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a bracket that is made to be secured to the exterior of a window frame, and illustrating a journal cup and jaw fixed to the bracket;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of a portion of the swingable arm and movable journal cup that I employ;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic illustration of my support and clothes-line, the latter leading to a distant pulley;

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view showing the relative position of coactlng pins carried by the journal cups when the clothes-line supporting arm occupies a position just short of horizontal; and

Figure 11 is a similar view with the arm moved into upright position.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be made clear that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

In carrying my invention into practice, I have shown a bracket A that is made to be secured to the outside of a window frame B. The bracket carries a swingable arm C, which is movable from upright position as shown in Figure 3 into a position short of horizontal, as disclosed in Figure 2. A clothes-line D is supported by the arm C and extends to a distant pole, or other support, indicated generally at E (see Figure 9).

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the bracket A is mounted horizontally on the exterior of the window frame by wood screws 1, or other suitable fastening means. Figure 1 shows the lower sash F in raised position so as to allow the normal lower end C' of the arm to swing inwardly or outwardly through the window opening G.

It will be noted that the bracket A has an angle 'bar 2 adjustably fastened thereto by a vertically-extending clamping bolt 3. This angle bar has a fixed journal cup I-I anchored thereto by cap screws 4. The bar 2 and cup H have a stud 5 threaded therelnto so as to extend axially of this cup (see Figures 5 and 6) on which a movable cup J is supported.

The two cups are telescoped, as shown in Figure 6, so that the cup J may rotate relative to the cup H. The cup J has lateral projections 6 thereon, which are secured to the arm C by bolts 1. The arm C is channel-shaped in transverse section and receives the projections 6 therein. Anut 8isthreaded on the outer end of the stud 5 and has a handle 9 extending there from.

When the nut 8 is loosened, the arm C may be swung from upright position toward a horizontal position. Of course, the handle 9 may :be

turned so as to tighten the nut 8 and thus clamp the arm C in any position to which it is adjusted. The cup H has a pin l0 projecting therefrom toward the cup J. The latter cupis provided with pins II and .12 extending toward the cup H. The pin ll strikes against the pin ID when the arm-C is moved into a position short of horizontal (see Figure 10); while the pin l2 abuts the pin 10 when the arm is moved into upright position (see Figure 11) The arm C has pulleys l4 and I5 rotatably mounted near the ends of the arm and the clothes-line D is trained over these pulleys. The upper and lower reaches [6 and H, respectively, of the line extend toward the pole or other support E, and pass'around a pulley l8 on the latter. The pole may be located at any suitable place in the lot, and the arm C adjusted on the bolt 3 in order that the plane of the pulleys l4 and I5 will extend toward the pole.

The angle bar 2 has a jaw I9 fixed therto,

which is undercut as at l9a (see Figures 1 and '7'). The sections of the clothes-line disposed between the pulleys l4 and I5 pass through this undercut when the arm C is moved toward horizontal. A movable jaw 2| is carried by the arm C and coacts with the fixed jaw l9 when the arm is moved into upright position so as'to clamp the line section 20 therebetween (see Figure 3).

Upon swinging the'arm C toward a horizontal position, the jaw 2| is automatically separated from the fixed jaw I9, and thus the clothes-line is free to be moved around the pulleys l4, l5 and I8. Clothes K maybe hung on the lower reach I! and the latter advanced toward the pole 'E. The handle 9, of course, may be turned in order to clamp the arm C 'ina position short of horizontal, as in Figure 2, at which time the .;end 0' of the arm is arranged on the inside of ';the window. The same is true-when clothes are being removed from the line.

A. guard 22 is secured to the arm C adjacent to the lowerpulley I5. This guard is bifurcated at 22a so as to straddlethe reaches of the clothesline. The purpose of the guard is to prevent a =persons hand from moving into the pulley l5 when grasping and pulling the line toward this pulley.

The clothes-line may be made in two sections dj and d2, which are joined together by suitable clamps '23 and 24 (see Figure 9). The pulley [8 has a guard 25 thereon. The clamp 24 will strike against this guard before the clamp 23 reaches the upper pulley l4 during movement of the clothes-line in a clockwise direction in Figure 9; Upon moving the clothes-line in a counterclockwise direction, the clamp '23 will abut the guard 25 prior to the clamp- 24 reaching the puljley 15. This arrangement prevents the clothesline from jumping off the pulleys.

Having thus described the various parts of my' window clothes-line support, the operation thereof may be briefly summarized as follows:

The clothes-line support normally is disposed on the outside of the window frame B. When it is desired to hang clothes K on the line D, the lower sash F is raised as indicated in Figure 1. The clamping nut 8 is released by turning the handle 9, and the normal lower end C of the arm .0 is drawn inwardly through the window opening G until the arm is slightly short of horizontal.

At this time the nut 8 is again turned to clamp the arm C in its new position. The clothes may be securedto the lower reach H of the line and the latter moved outwardly toward the distant pole E. After the clothes are hung out, the nut 8 is unloosened and the arm C moved into upright position on the outside of the window. Now the sash F may be lowered against the sill L. The reverse operations are followed when removing the clothes from the line.

I claim:

1. In a Wil'ldOWClOthGS-llll support;:a bracket adapted to be mounted on the outside of a window frame; an arm pivoted intermediateof its length to the bracket; the armnorma'llybeing arranged in substantially upright position on the outside of a window and. being swingable toward a horizontal position to move one end thereof through a window opening; 'upper and lower pulleys mounted on the arm and adapted to have a clothes-line trained thereover; the lower pulley being presented interiorly of the window when the arm is swung toward a horizontal position; and coacting means on the bracket and arm engageable with the section of the clothes-line between the pulleys for automaticallyclamping the clothes-line against endwise movement when the arm is moved into substantially upright position.

2. In a window clothes-line support; a bracket adapted to be secured to'the exterior of a window frame; an arm pivoted intermediate of its length to the bracket; the arm normally being arranged in substantially upright position on the outside of a window and being swingable toward a horizontal position to move one end thereof through a window opening; pulleys mounted on the arm near the ends thereof and adapted to have a clothes-line trained thereover; a fixed jaw extending upwardly from the'bracket; and a second =jaw secured to the arm and horizontally spaced outward of the pivot when the arm is moved toward horizontal, the portion of the clothes-line disposed between the pulleys being guided between the jaws; the jaws being positioned and 'coacting with one-another to clamp the clothesline therebetween when the arm occupies a substantially upright position and to 'free their grip on the clothes-line upon moving the arm toward a horizontal position.

3. In a window clothes-line support; a bracket adapted to be secured to a window frame; a journal cup fixed to the bracket; a clothes-line supporting arm; a journal cup attached to the arm and telescoping with the cup on the bracket for rotation with respect thereto; a stud anchored to one of the cups and extending axially through the other cup; means on the stud for releasably clamping the cups together; the arm-being swingable from substantially upright position toward horizontal position; and coacting pins carried by the cups for limiting swinging movement of the arm from substantially upright position to a position short of horizontal.

4. In a window clothes-line support; -a bracket adapted to be secured to a Window frame; an arm pivoted intermediate of its length to the bracket; the arm normally being arranged in substantially upright position and being swingable toward a horizontal position; means for training a clothesline along the arm; a fixed jaw extending upwardly from the bracket; and a second jaw secured to the arm and horizontally spaced outward of the pivot when the arm is moved toward horizontal; the clothes-line being guided between the jaws; the jaws being positioned and coacting with one another to clamp the clothes-line therebetween when the arm occupies a substantially upright position and to free their grip on the clothes-line upon moving the arm toward a horizontal position.

5. In a window clothes-line support; a bracket adapted to be secured to a window frame; a journal cup fixed to the bracket; a clothes-line supporting arm; a journal cup attached to the arm and telescoping with the cup on the bracket for rotation with respect thereto; a stud anchored to one of the cups and extending axially through REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 494,162 Rasmus Mar. 28, 1893 704,026 Gordon et a1. July 8, 1902 1,184,195 Menten May 23, 1916 1,830,808 Prante Nov. 10, 1931 2,008,467 Perry July 16, 1935 2,134,264 Robertson Oct. 25, 1938 2,242,563 West May 20, 1941 2,383,802 Johnston Aug. 28, 1945 

